“It’s often ignorance that fuels hatred.”
This sentence was part of my response to the post “Good Not To Know ” on OwlSparks last week. The author of the post, my friend Carlos, tweeted these words later that day, and I realized that if they resonated with him, they would be meaningful to share with blogosphere. I truly believe that ignorance and fear of the unknown fuel hatred. We have witnessed extreme examples of this cause and effect throughout history: the Holocaust, ethnic cleansing, the Middle East conflict… Unfortunately, I could go on and on. But, major world events are not the only times ignorance breeds hatred. Although on a lesser scale, I’m sure every one of us has witnessed a representation of this at least once in our lifetime.
Ignorance is an interesting word. Someone can be ignorant in a number of different ways, they may lack book smarts, street smarts, or a verbal filter. Although many people recognize what they do not know and seek out opportunities to learn, there are some who could care less. Honestly, it’s much easier to remain ignorant. Learning takes time and effort, and requires a willingness to change (shudder!). Hating what is different or unknown to you is the easy way out.
It’s tempting to look to the past and wonder how different our world might be if people had embraced each others’ differences instead of fighting about them. But, as they say, the past is the past, and there’s nothing we can do about it now. So, what can we do? First of all, have an open mind. Don’t judge a book by its cover applies to a lot more than just books. Give someone a chance before you pass judgement on them. Try not to blindly accept stereotypes and generalizations. Instead, form your own opinion. Seek out the people in your life who are different than you in some way, and ask questions. Ignorance is strong enough to fuel hatred, but knowledge can put out the fire.
Let me just make one thing clear, I’m not a jaded idealist. I don’t believe that everyone should forget history, and I’m not picturing a diverse circle of people sitting around a campfire singing Kumbaya. I’m not so naive as to say that if people could just be nicer, the world would be a happy place and there would be peace. We can’t erase the past, but we can impact what happens in the future. Being different doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Take the opportunity to teach people about the things that are important to you. Chances are they’ve always wondered, but have been afraid to ask.
I have always been someone who embraced differences, and saw my own as an opportunity instead of a curse. So, I’ll be the first to offer. If anyone has any questions about Judaism, I will do my best to answer them, and I will be happy to share with you!
Do you agree that ignorance fuels hatred? Can knowledge put out the fire? Have you or someone you know found an innovative way to teach about their differences?
